After enduring the Monday to Friday plod it's understandable
that many people reserve the weekend for blowing off steam. On those sunny
Saturday arvos who on Earth would wanna be cooped up in the office, digging
holes, boning chickens or whatever your 'bread' may be? Nope. A top-down sports
car - preferably something red and definitely something with a bit of squirt -
is where you want to be.
Cruising down the esplanade in this MX5 is a sure-fire way to
attract attention. The MX5 is a cute little button even in standard
form, but this baby - a true ONEOFF - carves its image in your subliminal
memory.
The body kit that complements the Mazda sheet metal is a custom creation
with the front 'bar styled with a hint of Series 6 Mazda RX-7 and extending a
l-o-n-g way down to the bitumen. That 'ground effects' look continues with
heavily sculpted side skirts and add-on rear extensions. You'll also note those
dual polished exhaust tips. These twinkle in the sunlight just like the
multi-spoke polished 17-inch rims, the chromed exterior mirrors, the Roadster
rear badge and the horn looking rollover bars. Other eye catching aesthetic
touches include aftermarket clear lens taillights, silver mesh inserts in the
front 'bar and the obvious front-mount intercooler.
Did we say intercooler? Sure did...
The street cred of a car like this would fall to the gutter
unless some under-bonnet mods were to be found. And with only 85kW on tap from
the standard DOHC, 1.6-litre B-series four, we've gotta say that a simple air
intake and exhaust upgrade isn't enough. Not by a long shot.
To achieve a serious improvement in power - along with
massively increased torque - this MX-5 sports the very popular AVO Stage 3 turbo
kit. This kit sees the standard motor fitted with a Garrett ball-bearing
turbocharger, cast exhaust manifold, dump pipe and micro-fueller arrangement. As
mentioned, the vehicle is also equipped with a seriously large custom
front-mount air-to-air intercooler.
This 'cooler copes very well with the
conservative boost maximum of 11 psi. A Blitz Super Sound atmospheric venting
aftermarket blow-off valve and a UniChip interceptor module are also
installed.
Beachside scenery can be blurred with a very healthy 130kW at
the wheels (as measured on a Dyno Dynamics chassis dyno). Of course, this
massive increase in torque and power does the driveline no favours so it's no
surprise to learn there's an upgrade single-plate clutch working with a
lightened flywheel. It's a pleasantly driveable clutch - no embarrassing engine
stalls in front of large crowds...
Onboard this MX-5 is certainly 'the' place to be. Get comfy and
feel the support of the two race seats and admire the quality of the cream
leather retrim. Leather coverings now adorn the seats, the door trims and
sections of the dashboard. The rest of the trim is colour-coded to suit. An
arcade game-like Momo steering wheel, aluminium knob and sports pedal enhance
driver feel while everyone in the immediate vicinity can enjoy the tunes belted
out by a Sony XPLOD deck wired to high-end door splits. A shift-light on the
steering column, an AutoMeter boost gauge in the right-side ventilation outlet
and a digital turbo timer in a custom centre console surround finish the
interior nicely. No stray wires or ragged edges here!
This is the sort of car that should only ever be driven on the
weekend. Not only because some sleepy eyed bozo might slam up the rear bumper,
or a taxi might decide to change lanes into the side but simply because it's
good to drive a different car from Monday to Friday. This will really heighten
the appreciation of slipping into the Mazda on Saturday. This MX5 really is a
dream to drive. Early to boost, progressive and with ample kilowatts to whip the
butt of pretty well any challenger: only serious performance cars are a threat.
The only thing to watch out for are lumps, bump and dips in the road - this car
sits l-o-w...
Poised on aftermarket lowered springs - which are around
3-inches lower than standard - it takes a delicate approach to driveways and
spoon-drains. Teaming with these low springs are Koni dampers, which keep the
whole show from pogo-sticking down the blacktop. A front suspension tower brace
is also fitted to improve front-end response.
The brakes are pretty much standard Mazda, but you'll find DBA
slotted and drilled replacement discs behind those sunglass-necessitating
17-inch wheels. Quality aftermarket pads add to a further braking improvement.
If this car gets your juices flowing (you'd have to be dead if
it didn't!) and you can see your hair being blown by the wind in the driver's
seat, well, you're in luck. No need to sell your family to fund this desire,
because the car is currently being sold as you see it for a very reasonable
AUD$27,900. Do yourself a favour. Leave your commuting car for Monday to Friday
and get yourself down to Sydney's Autostyle Performance Cars.
And, wouldn't you know it, Autostyle are open on Saturdays and
there's a pretty good beach not far away...
Contact:
Autostyle Performance Cars 0414 444 930
www.autostyle.com.au
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